Circle Forward - 2020 Revised Edition: Building a Restorative School Community

The 2020 revised edition of Circle Forward, originally published in 2015, adds a new module of Circles for adults in schools to talk about race and equity issues. Circle Forward is a resource guide designed to help teachers, administrators, students and parents incorporate the practice of Circles into the everyday life of the school community. It is a powerful resource for schools. Specifically, the Circle Forward resource guide offers comprehensive step–by-step instructions for how to plan, facilitate, and implement the Circle for a variety of purposes within the school environment. It describes the basic process, essential elements and a step-by-step guide for how to organize, plan, and lead Circles. It also provides over one hundred specific lesson plans and ideas for the application of Circles in the following areas of school life: • Learning and establishing a Circle practice • Establishing and affirming community norms • Teaching and learning in Circle • Building connection and community • Promoting social-emotional skills • Facilitating important but difficult conversations • Working together as adults • Engaging parents and the wider community • Developing students as leaders in peer Circles • Using Circles for restorative discipline WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING ABOUT CIRCLE FORWARD: "Seeing the announcement about the ebook version of Circle Forward prompts me to drop you a line to say what an outstandingly excellent book it is. I took it away on holiday with me, and have been working more closely with it over the past two days – and I am so hugely impressed by it. The theoretical discussion (especially in the Appendix) is brilliant, and the practical guidelines for employing circles for a wide array of issues are invaluable. It presents itself as a kind of cook book for delving into when needed, and that is how I am sure I will use it in the time ahead. But I am already recommending it widely. "Please convey my deep appreciation to Carolyn and Kay. They have produced a masterpiece." —Professor Chris Marshall, The Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington I am very grateful to Kay and Carolyn for their commitment to creating healthy communities for all young people, for their wisdom, and for their generosity. I cannot wait to share this wisdom with our schools—the teachers, administrators, students and their families, student support staff, educational assistants, volunteers, cooks, janitors, bus drivers, and school board members. This book is such a gift! — Nancy Riestenberg, author of Circle in the Square, School Climate Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education It takes skill to author a book that is both inspiring and practical. Kay and Carolyn provide a strong theoretical foundation for Circles and include extensive information about how teachers might utilize Circles in their schools and classrooms. The modules containing models for various types of Circles are extremely helpful and the appendix contains so many valuable resources. As a teacher educator looking to assist teachers as they develop both the knowledge and skills needed to effectively facilitate Circle processes, I am so excited about this book. — Kathy Evans, Assistant Professor of Education, Eastern Mennonite University, active in furthering Restorative Justice in Education (RJE), Harrisonburg, Virginia As a former schoolteacher and school administrator, I see this book adding positively to literature being written on this topic. You have given our teachers practical methods for using Circles in their classrooms and for creating an Ecosystem of Care in schools. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with our educators! — Robert Spicer, Restorative Justice Consultant and Community Activist: Restorative Strategies, Chicago, Illinois Read more